Posted on 06/19/2006 1:46:19 PM PDT by RDTF
June 26, 2006 issue - No one would have mentioned his name at all if President George W. Bush hadn't singled him out in public. Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, West Point '76, is not someone the Army likes to talk about. He isn't even listed in the directory at Fort Bragg, N.C., his home base. That's not because McChrystal has done anything wrongquite the contrary, he's one of the Army's rising starsbut because he runs the most secretive force in the U.S. military. That is the Joint Special Operations Command, the snake-eating, slit-their-throats "black ops" guys who captured Saddam Hussein and targeted Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi.
JSOC is part of what Vice President Dick Cheney was referring to when he said America would have to "work the dark side" after 9/11. To many critics, the veep's remark back in 2001 fostered his rep as the Darth Vader of the war on terror and presaged bad things to come, like the interrogation abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay. But America also has its share of Jedi Knights who are fighting in what Cheney calls "the shadows." And McChrystal, an affable but tough Army Ranger, and the Delta Force and other elite teams he commands are among them.
After the Zarqawi strike, multinational forces spokesman Gen. Bill Caldwell refused to comment on JSOC's role, saying, "We don't talk about when special operating forces are involved." But when Bush revealed to reporters that it was McChrystal's Special Ops teams that had found Zarqawi, Caldwell had to gulp and say (to laughter), "If the president of the United States said it was, then I'm sure it was."
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Here's a National Review from back in 1998 article by Bill Gertz on this Hamre character. Typical Clintonoid social activist who found the military "distasteful" at best.
It was "Civilian Over Sight" that refused the Armor Reaction force the SOF people wanted in Somalia JUST to respond to a "Black Hawk Down" type situation. Basic operations principal for SOF types They will hang it all out but they want SOME chance to pull it out if it drops in the meat grinder. They usually want some heavy hitter on call to back them up.
But of course, typical Leftist Political type, he is never willing to accept the blame for the consequences of his stupidity.
Vietnam, Desert One, Black Hawk Down. Bosnia, Sudan, The Leftist Presidents from LBJ to Carter to Clinton fumbled just about EVERY time they demanded "Civilian Over Sight" of Operations.
What ever their other flaws, bless Bush 1 and 2 with the brains to manage the politics and leave Operations to the pros.
bttt
Thanks for the link to his Bio, it was much worse than I thought possible. He should be a social worker somewhere but I guess that's the type Clinton relied on.
There's a guy named Hugo that should be very scared.
Rattlesnake tastes like chicken FWIW.
Another example of our irresponsible news media. Anything for a story.
Which is just another clear reason why SecDef Rumsfeld is the perfect man for the job in today's world.
funny I don't but a handful of team guys that want the current leadership you praise.
but I bet you have a great view from your couch
They say everything tastes like chicken. I must disagree, I think most stuff tasted like mush. I guess I'm a bad cook with "field" rations.
Now, with some spices, a little hot sauce, nice wood for coals we can get something right tasty going.
Love to know what someone with atag Devsix actually did for a living
Sure. There's the traditional "stewed rattlesnake with potatos and carrots"; "Boa Loaf"; and my favorite "Anaconda Almondine."
That and Mr. Murphy - An additional fact that often gets completely ignored is our warriors kicked as$ that day - When things went to sh*t our guys cowboy'd the hell up and took the fight to'em - They did not lose whatsoever that day or that battle - They got their marks that were at the hit location and they brought them in -
It was the WH that turned tail and ran days later -
Mr. Hamare is watching too many episodes of "The Unit".
I second that. It didn't suck but I wouldn't go out of my way for it either. Gator is better. ;~))
???
The reason the mainstream media are going nuts on this is because it was President BUSH who talked. They are loving to bring attention to his breach.
Why is it irresponsible to report that President Bush decided to release this information? If the president made a correct choice, then it's good it's being told. If he did something he shouldn't have done, then it's good the media reported it, just like I'd like them to keep tabs on the lefties' follies.
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